Thicker Than Water
by ChronicCombustion
Summary: Narcius and his children move in next door to a house with silent walls by day and screaming fights by night - where the sweet little blond boy named Demyx always seems to be bruised and hungry, and the comforting sense of family is nowhere to be found. Oneshot. AdoptiveFamily!AU. KH/ToF x-over. Implied child abuse. Implied drug use. Drama with happy ending. For ninemelodies.


This was a (hella late) birthday present for **ninemelodies** , based off our RP Verse on tumblr - in which Kairi and Axel from KH are siblings and Narcius (Trap Master) from Threads of Fate is their father. Through our conversations we got a little verse-divergent and wound up with an AU where Demyx and Axel grow up together; first as friends, then as brothers. Thus was born the AdoptiveFamily AU.

If you like this fic then be sure to check out Chapter 4 of my story, 'From 3 AM to Sunset' for more AdoptiveFamily AU fluffiness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Threads of Fate/Dewprims, nor do I own any of the characters/locations therein.

 _Warnings for implied child abuse/neglect and implied drug use._

* * *

The neighbors don't come out to greet them as they move in. That's alright though. Narcius has his hands full corralling two excited children as they race through their new – albeit still unfurnished – home while he and Rod lug boxes inside. That night, he gets ready to make dinner with the few pots and pans he's able to locate after sending Rod off to go pick up whatever he and the kids want.

As Narcius finishes washing the newspaper residue off the plates he happens to look out the window over the sink and he spots a flash of movement out what can only be the neighbors' back door. Strange, he thinks. But then again, he and his family are new here, so maybe this type of thing is typical. He doesn't realize he's been staring out the window with the faucet running until he feels a tug on his pant leg and looks down, startled, to find little Kairi staring up at him. His daughter smiles at him around her favorite moogle doll and Narcius completely forgets about the tiny blond child he'd seen running out the neighbor's back door as if a pack of wolves were on their tail.

—

Axel starts school that next month and, as predicted, it appears that the neighbor boy is in his class. Narcius has caught glimpses of the kid outside before; he'd even tried to say hello at one point, but there had come a shout from inside the house next door and the boy had jumped like a startled rabbit and rushed off. Narcius had chewed his lip in thought, something feeling just shy of 'right,' but he brushed it off as him being a stranger and the boy being so young. After all, he doesn't look any older than Axel, and Narcius has told his own children a hundred times over to never talk to strangers.

He keeps his eyes and ears open, though, because he's already heard that same shouting several times before from deep within the neighbors' house and while he's seen the boy more than once now, he has yet to see the parents.

At least Axel has someone to wait beside as the bus comes by in the morning.

That night, when Rod comes over for dinner and Axel tells everyone about his first day, he excitedly mentions that he's met and made friends with the little blond boy from next door. Demyx, Axel says the kid's name is. And as Axel rattles off everything he did that afternoon, Narcius happens to glance out the window and catch the shine of too-young eyes watching them all from the neighbors' window.

The rest of the house looks dark, from what Narcius can see, though it's entirely possible that he's wrong. He tunes back in just in time to catch Axel asking if he can invite his new friend over tomorrow and smiles at his son, saying yes, of course. He tucks his little grain of worry away, choosing not to wonder just why the boy in the next-door window looked so sad and hungry.

—

Narcius officially meets Demyx the day that Axel's school calls him to come and collect his child from the office. It seems his little spitfire son got himself held back after the last recess of the day for punching a kid square in the ribs. Now normally he would be surprised and a little upset – and at first he is – because he's spent eight years trying to teach his son that violence should only be used as a last resort when trying to protect something important. Beating up another kid on the playground is so out of character for Axel that Narcius can only offer up a shrug when asked about it.

He's let in to pick up his child, whom apparently has refused to speak since he got brought into the office. His confusion only grows at the sight of Axel sitting in a stiff, tight-faced manner with his eyes boring holes into the floor.

Narcius waits until Axel looks at him to ask what happened. Eventually, after several deep breaths to clear away the residual tension – because Axel knows Narcius is only going to get angry if Axel doesn't have a good reason for fighting – Axel mumbles something that Narcius can't hear. Narcius gives him a look and Axel repeats, louder this time, that, "they were pickin' on Demyx."

Ah. So that's it. Narcius lets out a little sigh and ruffles his child's hair to let him know that he isn't in trouble, at least not with his own dad. Helping his son down off the chair, Narcius turns to belatedly notice another kid sitting on the opposite side of the office. Skinny, blond, and dirty, he can only be the owner of the pair of eyes Narcius has spotted watching them all through the windows of the house next door.

Demyx doesn't really look at them, just sort of stares at his feet and sneaks glances up through the tufts of his hair hanging in his eyes. Smiling warmly, Narcius steps over and kneels down - something he is so used to doing with his own children, getting down at eye level – and gives the boy a friendly "hey there."

Demyx kind of fidgets but finally makes hesitant eye contact. The kid smiles – gapped teeth showing through his crooked grin – and says a soft hello in return.

Having managed to establish communication, Narcius sits himself down on the floor in front of Demyx's chair. Once everyone is settled and mostly comfortable with one another, he formally introduces himself to the gangly blond child.

The three of them talk for a while, simply enjoying the company and the quiet before the principal comes to shoo them all out. Demyx is a great kid, Narcius decides. He's glad to meet the boy that has become so important to his son in such a short amount of time. After all, Demyx is Axel's first new friend since they moved. He tells Demyx this, and the boy seems almost startled.

The clock on the wall beeps out 4:00 and Narcius moves to stand. He knows that he needs to get Axel home. Rod, bless him, offered to pick Kairi up after school while Narcius went to see about Axel and the poor guy must be neck-deep in tea party right about now.

Dusting off the back of his coat, Narcius briefly catches the saddening expression painting itself over Demyx's features. He spares a look out the doorway. From what he can see, there are no new cars in the parking lot and no signs of any appearing anytime soon. So where are Demyx's parents?

He tilts his head and smooths over the mild concern eating at his gut, brought on by years of his own paternal instincts.

When asked if his parents are coming, Demyx doesn't answer, simply deflates a little more and looks at his sneakers.

Plastering a grin over his unease, Narcius offers the boy a ride home. They live right next to each other, anyway, so it only makes sense. Axel looks elated. Demyx looks unsure.

The odd moment is broken, however, by Axel loudly asking if "Dem" can stay for dinner. A quick glance over to the boy in question and Narcius spots a glimmer of hope behind teal-colored eyes. He nods. Of course Dem can stay for dinner. Uncle Rod is helping cook, after all, and he always makes way too much.

No one in the office questions the fact that Dem is riding home with someone other than his parents as the three of them leave and Narcius finds himself tucking the uncomfortable feeling that instills way back into the farthest corner of his mind.

—

Two months of increasingly frequent sleepovers later, Narcius cocks an eyebrow as Demyx gives him a wide grin, little face all lit up as he and Axel plead with him to let Demyx spend the weekend. Narcius huffs, already caving, but pretends to think it over some more. He really doesn't mind. After all, it's been a while since Axel made any friends, and Demyx is such a sweet, well-behaved thing. Even Kairi likes him. How could Narcius say no?

Still, though, he's sure by now Dem's parents must be wondering when he plans to come home, so he makes the suggestion of asking them if it's alright. Axel's excitement seems slightly tempered since his "yes" is now depending on an outside party's approval. Hope still burns bright, though, in those shocking green eyes of his. Demyx, on the other hand, appears to have frozen still.

There is tension there that Narcius can all but feel as the blond boy quickly fights himself back into a more natural state of being. Narcius isn't fooled for a moment.

He lets Demyx lie to him, though, giving the boy one last chance to be honest as Dem nervously proclaims that his mom has already said yes, and didn't he mention it? Narcius purses his lips but says nothing, giving the children another few seconds of silent contemplation before finally making a decision. He plasters a small smile on his own face and shoos Axel out of the room to go get the extra pillows from the hallway closet. His son whoops in joy and races off. Narcius stops Demyx from following him.

Gently, he asks the little blond if his mother has really said yes. Dem shuffles his feet and gives an "uh-huh," which Narcius has to sigh at. He asks again. When Demyx doesn't respond verbally, Narcius kneels down and changes tactics. He gets as close to eye level with the kid as he can and asks a third time.

Demyx's answer doesn't change, but Narcius immediately stops prying at the sight of pretty teal eyes turning glassy with unshed, empty tears. The boy is staying the weekend with them, he decides, and if Dem's parents don't come by wondering what happened to their child, then Narcius thinks he might have the beginnings of a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He hopes he's wrong.

—

It's not more than four months after Axel and Demyx become friends that he finds the little blond is sneaking into his son's room in the middle of the night. How he's getting up and into Axel's window, Narcius doesn't quite know, but it's happening all the same, and Narcius makes sure to catch them early enough in the morning that Dem isn't able to slip away before he's spotted. Not that Narcius hasn't already spotted him – it's just that neither child knows that he has. Dem is nervous, unsurprisingly, but Narcius just offers to make him breakfast and tells them to hurry up and get ready for school. He walks them both to the bus stop that morning.

By the time another month has passed, Dem is over at their house almost every day, and Narcius has yet to actually meet his parents. It would be less worrying if even one of them came knocking on his door to see if their wayward son has gone visiting again, but thus far Dem has had six consecutive dinners with Narcius' family and there hasn't been so much as a phone call asking for his whereabouts.

Then there's the screaming he hears from next door long after he's put the kids to bed. Most of the time, especially on the nights there are sounds like bottles being smashed mixed with the yelling, he finds Dem snuggled in with Axel sometime that next morning. Eventually, Narcius just tells Dem to bring a change of clothes when he comes over after school. It's easier to just have him stay over than to have to worry if his son's best friend is alright while another shouting match begins outside.

It has not escaped his notice, either, that Dem usually stuffs down as much food as he can at dinner, though is reluctant to ask for more unless offered first. It's almost as if he's afraid he'll be reprimanded. It's clear that Dem is hungry; Narcius can see his knobby little bones sometimes, when Dem turns just right. He might have just chalked it up to Dem being a scrawny boy – Narcius' own brothers were on the gangly side early on – if it weren't for the added fact that Axel has told him that Dem doesn't bring his lunch to school and rarely buys one there. Narcius has taken to packing extra for Axel to share with Demyx, as Demyx has yet to accept a lunch box of his own from Narcius, despite him asking Demyx once or twice.

The more he thinks about it, the darker the worry pitting in Narcius' stomach begins to grow.

—

He doesn't outright ask Demyx why his parents don't seem to care that he's all but moved in. He really doesn't have to. The issue there, though, is that unless he can get some hard evidence or Dem tells him outright, Narcius can literally do nothing more without potentially causing a rift where a tightly-knitted bond has long-since been formed. Demyx has met Rod by now, who has also taken a shine to the little blond ball of energy and smiles.

It is actually Rod that suggests calling somebody, but Narcius shakes his head sadly and confesses that he's afraid they'll take Demyx far away and dump him in foster care where he and Axel and Kairi can't get to him. Axel would be devastated and, if truth were told, so would Narcius. Or worse than that, even – the police and child services could do absolutely nothing. Rod agrees that it's best to play it safe for a while longer, lest potential wrath be brought down on Demyx's innocent head for their intervention. As of the moment they aren't even able to prove there's anything to be intervened on. It hurts, but that's the truth of it.

To keep Dem smiling for a little longer and their own fears at bay, Rod and Narcius invite Demyx along as they all go on a weekend trip out of town to visit Axel and Kairi's cousin, Prima.

—

It is directly after the trip that things spiral rapidly downward.

Apparently six months was the amount of time it took for Dem's parents to finally notice his frequent absence, because Narcius cannot remember ever hearing an argument so loud coming from the neighbors' house. There is screaming from at least two voices, crashing sounds, what might have been something heavy being thrown into a wall. He can even make out a few words here and there, which just makes it all the worse since that means someone is at least partially sober and aware – or just loud enough to be heard even semi-clearly through sturdy walls. He doesn't know which is scarier.

He's just about to say fuck it and call the police when he hears an almighty thump coming from up in Axel's room. Relief that Demyx might be safe now mixes with the dread of what state he might be in and Narcius barely registers racing up the stairs before he's thrown the door open to Axel's bedroom. There, still hanging half outside, is Demyx being helped in through the open window by a jittery Axel.

Narcius forces his muscles to freeze as he stands in the doorway, denying the surge of adrenaline until Demyx is all the way inside. He wants to rush forward, to grab the blond slip of a boy and check him over for wounds, make sure he's okay, but he knows that sharp movements and loud voices are the last thing Demyx will find comforting right now. So he waits. And when it looks like the boys are able to breathe again, Narcius steps closer and drops to his knees.

Demyx isn't exactly crying, but there is a quiet hysteria there that makes something constrict in Narcius' throat. Wide, fearful, glassy eyes and pinched, labored breathing: all of it speaking volumes. Narcius has seen that look before on his younger brother Ruenis after a nightmare about their father. A child should never be terrified of a parent.

Narcius doesn't care that his face is twisted in a weird expression of worry. He was ready to panic only minutes ago, and he realizes that the only times he's ever felt panic before was when his family was involved.

Calloused hands reach out and gently rest on Demyx's shoulders – not so heavy that he can't shrug them off if he wants to, but also solid enough to act as an anchor should he need one. Narcius' eyes flick everywhere and the more he takes in the more rage flares in his chest.

Demyx is a mess. There is a black eye forming and a long, bleeding split in his lip, indicating one hell of a hit to his small face. There are more bruises on his arms that look sickeningly like fingers. A few cuts trail along different patches of his skin, like he narrowly avoided a nastier encounter with broken glass. Nothing looks too deep or too wide, though Narcius won't feel better until a more thorough examination is done. He'll drive out to the E.R. at 3:00 am if he needs to.

Keeping his voice quiet and non-threatening, he manages to ask Demyx if he's alright. It's more for something to break the silence than anything, as the kid is clearly far from okay. After a moment he receives a jerky nod in response and finds himself carefully brushing limp hair out of Dem's swelling eye. "You're safe," he repeats as he pulls the boy into a protective hug. "You're safe, you're here. We've got you."

He is vaguely aware that Kairi has woken up and is standing behind them all in the doorway. He doesn't want her to see this, she's far too young, so he hurriedly whispers for Axel to go and get his sister away from there.

While his son quickly pulls his daughter out into the hallway, Narcius sits back on his heels to try and catch Demyx's gaze. He really wants to take Dem somewhere for proper medical treatment, but he's hesitant to cause the kid any more distress tonight. He's going to have to make a decision and stick with it.

"Dem," he murmurs. "We need to take you to a doctor. Do you want to go tonight?" He keeps his questions simple as he asks them, allowing the shaking boy to answer without having to speak.

Demyx shakes his head 'no.'

He'd figured as much. "Okay. We won't go tonight, but we need to go tomorrow, yeah?"

A pause. A nod.

"Will you tell me where it hurts? And let me make sure it's nothing serious?"

This time Demyx pauses a little longer and Narcius has to level his breathing to keep himself as calm as possible. After a solid minute of lip chewing, the child (and Narcius is so painfully aware right now that Demyx is still just a child,) manages another nod. Grimly, Narcius stands and shuffles them out into the hallway toward the bathroom.

He catches Axel's eye on the way and it's clear his son wants to join them, but Narcius shakes his head silently and Axel stays where he is, Kairi at his side. Narcius does, however, leave the bathroom door ajar once he and Demyx are inside. Not so much so that prying eyes can see in, but so that Demyx knows that he has a clear way out should he start to feel claustrophobic. He helps Dem get situated on the rim of the bathtub and takes up a spot on the closed lid of the toilet, far enough off to the side that he isn't blocking any potential exits. Right now the more important thing in the world is making sure Dem knows he's safe.

Dem will always be safe in this house.

—

The examination room is cold and smells like a chemical lab, but after what Dem showed him last night, Narcius is more than willing to push his dislike for hospitals to the back of his mind. He had been terrified, and still is, if he's honest, that the purpling, boot-shaped bruises marring Demyx's torso were indicative of broken bones. Luckily, or so says the doctor currently giving Narcius funny looks, the blond is still relatively in one piece. There is evidence to suggest that there were previous fractures in several places, though, and that they healed a little awkwardly.

It's obvious that the doctor wants to ask Dem about them, but the boy is shivering without his shirt and very clearly uncomfortable, so Narcius does his best to keep the conversation on Dem's health. Bruised, battered, a pulled wrist, a split lip; each injury that the doctor lists off makes Narcius blood turn to fire. Eventually the examination is finished and Dem is prescribed some mild painkillers and an antibiotic just in case. Narcius keeps Dem's tiny hand secure in his own until they're out in the lobby once again.

Once they exit the maze-like corridors, Demyx trots over to where Axel, Kairi, and Rod are seated waiting for them. Rod had insisted on being there since he's come to consider Dem just as much his family as Narcius does. Originally the three of them were supposed to have gone out to the park or something, but it had been a unanimous decision to stay and wait for news on Dem's condition. Narcius is secretly glad they chose to come, though he's still baffled on when they took to forming a committee.

As Rod and the two redheaded children engulf Dem into their hoard of hugs, Narcius finally steps away to have a word with the doctor. The exchange is pretty much what he was expecting and he silently conveys this to Rod when the man looks over at him. Narcius takes the new forms he's been handed and heads over to his hodge-podge of a family. He and Rod have a lot of discussing to do when they get a moment away from the kids.

—

Narcius has never been one for prayer. Any gods that might have favored East Heaven certainly did not favor Narcius and his siblings. Now, though, he is considering offering up a "thank you" to whomever had been watching his countless late nights of worrying. Under normal circumstances, Demyx would have been immediately removed from his parents' house and placed in child protective services. At the moment, however, since Dem isn't actually talking to anyone about his bruises and has taken to clinging to Narcius whenever anyone tries to ask, the whole mess has been labeled a "special case."

Dem's home situation is being put under investigation. That is, if anyone can get into contact with his parents. Thus far no one has answered the door or responded to phone calls. It would appear that entering the house by force is the next obvious step. Until then, Dem has been placed in the care of a foster family. More specifically, Dem has been officially placed under Narcius' care.

Narcius' family couldn't be more ecstatic. True, Dem isn't as far away from his birth parents as he probably should be, but he has no other living relatives as far as anyone knows and even if he did it would have made little to no difference. For one thing, it keeps Dem in the same school so that he isn't forced to start the year over somewhere else. His life isn't derailed. In fact, he's even been doing a little better at some of his classes. Not that he wasn't always a bright kid, but his confidence is slowly returning and it shows. Dem has, after all, latched himself onto Axel and Kairi as his own little support group. Dem hides his face in Narcius' side like Axel does when he's frightened. Dem climbs onto Rod's shoulders and demands piggyback rides. Dem has started to ask for seconds at the dinner table and actually put on a little weight. Dem is happy with his neighbors. Dem is loved.

And it is because of this that the powers that be have allowed him to stay with his new found family.

Weeks pass. The bruises slowly start to fade to a sickly yellow and the black eye Demyx once sported has all but cleared up. March rolls around and the family of redheads – and Rod – begin planning a small birthday party for their newest member. Everything seems lighter now that no one spends days on end worrying about the sweet little blond boy from next door.

But it is a mistake to let their guard down.

A week before Demyx's birthday is when everything comes to a head. It's a Tuesday, about an hour after dinnertime, Narcius is finishing up the dishes, nothing even remotely noteworthy has taken place in days. Just as Narcius is getting ready to call into the living room to see if the kids have picked a movie yet, there is an almighty _slam_ against the back door. A shouted "hey!" follows a moment later, giving Narcius just enough time to get over his startle and set his stance into protective mode. Another slam sounds, then a few more all at once, like someone is trying to beat the door down with both hands. Shoulders squared, Narcius marches over and yanks the door open with a snarl.

The man standing on his back porch is no one he's ever met, Narcius is certain. The man is thin, boney, with red-rimmed eyes and what look to be scratch marks all over his arms. He shifts unsteadily and darts his tongue out every few seconds to brush over the cracking corners of his chapped mouth. He appears addled, Narcius thinks – possibly strung out or just coming down from being so.

Movement off to the side catches Narcius attention and he finally takes notice of another person standing just behind the one on his porch. It is a woman, dirty and bruised with sickly-pale skin and a wraith-like form. She stands there wringing her hands in the hem of her dirty skirt, gaze twitching erratically from Narcius, to the door, to the man, and then back. It is her stringy, sandy-colored hair and long features that are a dead giveaway as to who these people are.

Narcius grits his teeth. "Can I help you?" he asks, tone anything but accommodating.

The man takes a step forward as if to shove his way into the house. Narcius is having none of it. He stands his ground, straightening up to his full height and meeting his neighbor's blood shot eyes.

His glare is returned, though it is a little unfocused, as Demyx's father growls an obscenity at him. "You got my kid in there, " he slurs, "I want 'im back."

The patter of tiny, curious feet in the kitchen has not escaped Narcius' notice and he widens his stance to keep the doorway firmly blocked. "You must be confused," he answers, voice low and deceptively calm as he crosses his arms. "All of the children in this house are mine."

There is a short gasp behind him and he tics his gaze backwards for just a moment – purely out of paternal instinct – but it's more than enough of an opening for the idiot on his porch to try and make a grab for his shirt. Narcius is faster of course, and brings his arm up well in time block. He snatches the man's wrist with nimble fingers and holds it off to the side so that the man's arm is bent in an uncomfortable manner.

The man snarls at him, unleashing a torrent of insults and words Narcius is glad his children don't understand. As he tries weakly to yank back his arm, the man reaches out with his free hand in an attempt to throw a lop-sided punch. It misses by a mile as Narcius ducks and the fist becomes more of a flailing, unsuccessful slap. Despite nearly getting whacked in the temple, Narcius manages to keep his grip on the arm he's already holding, bending it down to knock the man off balance as Narcius makes a grab for the hand trying to claw at his face.

Gravity shifts against them as the man violently tries to free himself and pulls them both backwards. It is lucky that there is a step down from the porch to the yard, because even though the neighbor is uncoordinated and possibly drugged up, he's still got enough momentum to almost take Narcius with him as he falls. It takes a well-timed shift on Narcius' part to plant his feet and shove the man back. The neighbor slams into the ground with a heavy thud. Narcius barely catches himself on the railing before he follows headfirst.

The entire scuffle transpires in the span of minute, but it is a full minute of distraction that has kept Narcius from focusing on the children inside. It isn't until he hears several shrill voices cry out in alarm that he notices the woman is no longer in his yard. Something cold settles in his stomach.

Narcius launches himself off the railing and back through the open kitchen door. He spares only a moment to bolt it behind himself before tearing out into the dining room after the voices he can hear further in. He finds the grubby neighbor woman in the living room, blocking Demyx and Axel's escape route up the stairs.

"Come on, sweetie," she coos, swaying on her feet as Narcius rounds the corner. Her voice is strained, tinted with hysteria and a little desperation. Before her stands Axel with his arms out in a protective stance, shielding a shaking Demyx from the grasping hands that try to reach around and seize the blond boy's arm. "It's time to go home now, Demy, come to Mommy." She leans in closer and Demyx scoots back further into the corner. Axel, on the other hand, refuses to move.

"NO!" He shouts, spitting the word right into the woman's pale, sweaty face. "You leave him alone! He doesn't wanna go with you!"

The woman freezes for a moment, shocked. Angrily, she turns her grabbing hands on Axel, apparently done with coaxing and ready to instead drag the living obstacle away.

By this time, Narcius has scanned the room for any signs of Kairi and found none. He's also noticed that the phone is missing from its cradle next to the entryway. This is either a good sign or a particularly bad one.

He doesn't take another second to assess as the neighbor woman reaches out to claw at his children. He tackles the woman to the ground, landing with his arms pinning her elbows behind her back. She barely struggles as he sits up and zeros in on the two boys beside them.

"You okay?" he barks.

Axel nods for both of them, Dem clinging silent and wide-eyed to the back of his shirt.

"Where's Kairi?"

Once again, it's Axel that answers. "She went upstairs," he says, pointing to the staircase. "She took the phone with her."

A tiny voice from just out of view on the landing calls down, "Daddy, I called the puh-leece."

Narcius instinctively almost turns to see if he can spot his daughter, but the lump of neighbor under his knee stills his movement. He looks back to Axel instead and jerks his head in Kairi's direction. "Go. Take them, lock yourselves in the bedroom, call Uncle Rod if you can and tell him what happened. Don't come out until I say."

Axel nods sharply in understanding. Carefully, he and Dem make their way around the woman on the floor, who has managed to turn her head to watch them as they ascend the stairs.

"Demy? Demy, come back. Mommy's gonna take you home, okay, sweetie?"

"The _hell_ you are!" Narcius snarls, digging his weight more firmly into her withered back. He glances up and catches Axel's eyes. "Go," he repeats.

He watches them as best he can while keeping the woman immobile. Just before they vanish from sight completely, he spots Demyx sneaking a frightened look back down into the living room. Narcius nods at him faintly, mustering up a ghost of a smile in reassurance.

He hears sirens from outside just as the bedroom door clicks shut.

—

No one gets any rest that night.

The police arrest the woman easily enough, incapacitated as she is. They find her husband out back, still beating himself against the kitchen door. He runs, but they catch him in the next yard over. Both are tossed into the back of a squad car like petulant teenagers and the police then turn to damage control.

Narcius talks to them, explaining what happened to at least three different people. They ask him if they can speak to the children, but he declines. There has been far too much stress tonight and while Axel is still fired up and protective, neither Demyx nor little Kairi need any more excitement right now. Eventually, after Rod arrives and Narcius validates his reasons for being there, the police agree to let them bring the kids in the next morning to give their part of the story.

No one says anything about feeling unsafe sleeping in the house – no one needs to. They wind up packing a few small necessities into a duffel bag and piling into the car, getting a room at the nearest motel. Though Narcius protests, Rod insists on staying and he and Narcius sit up all night to keep an eye on the fitful forms of the children all piled into the same bed. Dem is in the middle between Kairi and Axel, as if the two redheads are protecting him even in sleep.

—

Following the arrest it turns out that Dem's parents were not only abusive and neglectful, but they were, in fact, avid drugs users as well. Not that Narcius is surprised. It didn't take a genius to figure out that both the wife and the husband were drugged up the night of the break-in. He's just happy they finally have more than enough evidence against them as parents (as well as people) to get their custody of Demyx permanently taken away.

He's even happier that child services have decided to give that same custody to him for the time being. It's been a rough week for everyone.

Though he has been taking care of Demyx as his own for the better part of a year now, Narcius is unsure of just how permanent this situation can legally be. He brings up his idea to Rod, who doesn't even need convincing before he agrees whole-heartedly. Narcius also mentions the plan to both Kairi and Axel – though he swears them to secrecy after getting an exuberant "yes!" from them both. That same day, after sending them off to school under the watchful eye of Rod, Narcius picks up the phone and calls the kids' Auntie Claire.

Claire is calm and cheerful over the phone, asking how her niece and nephew are and when they're all coming to visit next. Claire is a godsend, having acted the part of a foster mother to Narcius' youngest brothers for most of their life. She even took in Narcius himself on a few occasions when times were particularly hard at home. But that is all from a different time and Narcius nervously explains the situation to Claire in hopes of benefiting from her wisdom now.

He is not disappointed. Claire advises him on the best course of action, tells him who to talk to, what to say. By the time two hours have passed, Narcius is practically vibrating with anticipation as he thanks her profusely and promises to bring the children out to see her next month. All three of them. Before heading out the door, Narcius makes one last phone call to Rod, telling him what's going on and that he might not be home when the kids get out of school. Rod has no problem watching them a little longer.

That evening, just in time to start making dinner, Narcius comes back with one of the biggest grins Rod can ever remember seeing. He pulls his oldest friend aside to tell him the good news. It's too late to surprise Demyx on his birthday like they had all secretly wanted, but everything is a go and all that needs to happen now is the endless paperwork to change everything over into Narcius' name.

Rod is elated. He wants to tell Axel and Kairi, too, but Narcius shushes him. He wants to tell everyone all at once, lest one of the two redheaded children blurt it out before he gets a chance to. Rod pouts but sees the logic and agrees to keep quiet. Narcius shoos him out of the kitchen then, waving away Rod's offer to cook. The least he can do is feed him, Narcius states, after everything he's been doing to help.

Dinner passes uneventfully, though it is obvious that both Narcius and Rod are holding their tongues with difficulty. Even adults get excited, after all. As Rod helps him pile dishes into the sink to be washed later, Narcius tells the kids to go wait in the living room while the grown ups talk. It's odd, he knows, since he usually has the kids help him or has them go pick out a movie for family time, but he needs to figure out how to tell them all and Rod has always made a great sounding board.

Minutes tick by. Eventually they emerge to find all three children huddled around a few of Kairi's coloring books on the floor, trying to pick the proper shade of green for the cow she is currently scribbling away at. Nacius sits himself down right next to them and leans over to view his daughter's work. Rod follows suit, hauling a giggling Kairi into his lap.

Axel looks to his dad expectantly, little fingers unconsciously clutching at Demyx's out of what has become habit by now. Narcius smiles. "Hey, Dem," he starts, gathering everyone's attention – except for Kairi, who is now trying to find the exact purple crayon to match Rod's shirt.

Narcius smiles at the cute scene before redirecting back to the topic at hand. "Can I ask you something?" he says, catching Dem's curious eyes. The boy nods.

"Are you happy here?" At Dem's puzzled look, Narcius gestures to the rest of their small group. "With all of us, I mean."

Dem seems to consider this for a moment. He looks over at Axel, who looks at him in turn. Narcius sees their hands tighten for a second before Dem turns back to him and answers in a voice far too serious for a seven-year-old. "Yes. You 'n Mister Rod are nice to me and I can see Azel 'n Kairi every day."

Axel puffs his little cheeks out at the mispronunciation of his name, but says nothing. This isn't anything new.

Narcius smiles softly and props an elbow up on his knee, resting his cheek on his hand. "Good, I'm glad." He reaches out to ruffle Dem's hair before letting himself get serious once more. "Demyx…Your parents are going to be locked up for a long time. They can't hurt you anymore. You know that, right?"

Dem looks down, not answering. He nods after a moment but doesn't look back up.

Narcius sighs. He doesn't want to ruin the mostly-comfortable atmosphere by bringing up things that have scarred the poor kid in the past. This is supposed to be a happy announcement. Pursing his lips, he continues. "I… _We_ want you to come and live with us now."

Dem's head snaps back up and wide teal eyes stare at Narcius in disbelief. "…Really?" He looks around at Axel, who looks about ready to bounce in excitement, and then back to Rod and Kairi. When he looks back at Narcius, the man grins at him to show he's sincere. But Dem is still obviously having trouble wrapping his head around what Narcius has just said. "You… you mean it? I can come live with you guys?"

Narcius nods, grinning wider.

"Forever?"

"Forever, yeah." Narcius glances over at his redheaded offspring. Axel is silently exploding in joy and Kairi has now stood up on Rod's leg and is gleefully pawing at her brother like a cat. Dem still looks to be in shock.

Narcius pulls a few slips of paper out from his back pocket and unfolds them. He holds them out for Dem to see, though he knows the child won't really understand them, as formal as they are. "I went and talked with some people today while you were at school. They said we can be your family now if you want, and all we have to do is sign these and it'll be permanent. You won't ever have to be alone again."

Dem stares at the papers for a moment. His expression still hasn't changed, but Narcius can see the beginnings of something wet gathering in the corners of the boy's ocean-colored eyes.

For the briefest of seconds Narcius thinks he might have just screwed something up. He flicks his eyes up to meet Rod's, who simply shrugs a little and raises his brows.

But then Demyx raises his head and practically lurches forward to wrap his skinny arms around Narcius' ribs. He buries his face in Narcius' shirt. "I wanna stay!" He sobs, little arms doing a surprisingly good job of squeezing the air from Narcius' lungs. "I wanna come live with you guys, I don't wanna go back!" He's nearly yelling, voice muffled by fabric but still perfectly audible.

Narcius puts a hand on Demyx's back and lets him cry himself out. "It's okay," he soothes as Dem's hysterical relief starts to subside. "It's okay, we're gonna take care of you now. You're home."

—

Narcius watches the school bus from the living room window as it pulls to a stop a short ways down the block. He surveys the figures spilling out onto the sidewalk for a moment, checking for the familiar heads of red and blond hair, before turning back to the petite woman on the couch across from him.

Claire gives him a knowing smile over the rim of her coffee mug, pride evident in her eyes. "Everything okay?" she asks.

Narcius returns her smile and settles back against the couch. "Yeah, just keeping an eye on things."

They return to their conversation for a few minutes as they wait for the sound of footsteps on the front porch. When the door opens and only Axel walks through, however, Narcius narrows his eyes suspiciously. Something's up.

"Hey, Dad!" Axel calls, a bit too nonchalantly. The high schooler shucks off his shoes by the entryway and grabs an apple from the bowl on the short table near the window. He stuffs it in his mouth like a heathen and lets it hang between his teeth as he starts for the back of the house.

Claire clears her throat and sits forward before he can get too far, setting her cup down on the coffee table. "Hello, Axel," she calls.

Hurriedly, and in true teenager style, Axel bites his apple and grins through a mouthful of fruit. "Oh! Hi, Aunt Claire!"

Narcius cocks an eyebrow at his son. "Where's your sister?"

Axel makes a random gesture towards the door with his apple, still chewing. "She's gonna catch a ride with Namine today, she said they had a group project for history class."

"…And your brother?"

Axel stuffs his apple back into his mouth and answers with a muffled, "I dunno" sound. It does not escape anybody's notice that the teen is trying to subtly inch his way out of the room.

Before Claire can finish opening her mouth to reply, there is a loud bump from the kitchen, followed by a quiet, "Ow, sunnuva…!"

"Oi! Language!" Narcius shouts, giving Axel an amused look.

There is a pause, and then a sheepish, "…Sorry, Dad!" is heard from the kitchen.

Axel says nothing, just takes another bite of his apple and looks anywhere but at the two on the couch.

Claire chuckles and gives a roll of her pretty brown eyes. "Demyx, come in here and say hello to me," she calls sweetly. The woman is a well of patience, having reared far too many of Narcius' family members already.

There is a shuffling from the dining room as Dem comes wandering into the living room, his backpack slung over one shoulder and his shoes in his hand. His head is hung at first – an age-old habit of his where he thinks his hair will shield him, even though it's spiked high – but it does little to hide the blooming bruise across his cheek. Nor does it obscure the bloody tissue sticking out of one of the teen's nostrils.

Narcius immediately sits up straight. "What the hell happened?"

Demyx grins up at him awkwardly. Scratching at this temple, he winces slightly as his finger brushes along his injured cheek. "I uh… I tried to uhm…" He clears his throat. "I got… hit with a skateboard."

Stunned silence as the adults take in this new information.

Axel, apparently fearing a misunderstanding, decides to chime in. "It was an accident. Roxas was showing us how to do a kickflip and when Dem tried it, the thing popped up and got him in the face." He scrubs at the back of his hair. "Nothing's broken," he mumbles. "I checked."

Narcius heaves a quiet sigh and puts a hand to his face. "And you thought by sneaking in through the kitchen, I wouldn't notice you have a bloody nose?"

Dem looks away. "I didn't want you to worry about it."

A soft smile tugs at Narcius' lips, despite the mild exasperation and hints of concern still swimming through his system. "And yet I do, constantly." He chuckles and can just barely catch the start of a smile on Dem's face, too.

"But seriously, are you okay?"

Tension successfully broken, Dem squeezes out a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm okay. It stopped bleeding on the bus." He grins tightly, trying not to stretch the tender skin of his bruises. "Sorry, Dad."

"Ahem?"

All eyes turn to the lovely brunette seated on the couch as Claire folds her hands in her lap. "Do I get my 'hello' now?" she asks politely.

Dem's face brightens like sunlight as he drapes himself over the back of the couch for a quick hug. "Sorry. Hi, Aunt Claire."

She hugs him back as best she can, given the angle, and then pulls back to let him do the same. She giggles. "Alright, that'll do for now. Go wash the blood off and then you two come join us." She smiles over at Axel, who has been standing silently off to the side. "I'll be wanting a hug from you, too, young man."

The boys shuffle off to go dump their school things upstairs – though not before Axel delivers his own hug to his aunt – leaving Claire and Narcius to themselves for a few more minutes.

Claire turns her smile upon the red haired man next to her. "They've grown up well."

Narcius hums in agreement as he watches his sons disappear from view. They look so much like brothers, he thinks; he's not sure he remembers one without the other anymore.

Claire nudges him happily, once more giving him a knowing look over the rim of her mug. "Someone looks proud," she teases.

Narcius beams. "Yeah. I really am."


End file.
